As I look around at various Christian congregations, I’m astonished at how far from God’s truth many of them are. In trying to relate more to the unsaved, most pastors led their flock down a worldly path in order not to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

People should feel welcome in a congregation, but if they are uncomfortable, then it may be that they are feeling the pinch of their sin nature. Feeling that “pinch” could lead to salvation.

Jesus met many people as He walked the streets of Jerusalem and the shores of Galilee. They were people who weren’t much different than you and me. They had troubles, made poor decisions, and struggled with temptations. He chose 12 men to follow Him and learn His truth, but these men weren’t the cream of the crop by human standards. He chose fishermen who were crude and had tempers that flared.

Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were dishonest members of the community, and most people didn’t respect them. Then there was Judas. Jesus taught him the same lessons he taught John, James, Peter, Andrew, and all the others, but Judas wouldn’t allow himself to be changed by Christ. That’s the problem with many who claim to be Christian today. They won’t allow Jesus to change them, but they want to change Jesus into a god who accepts their sins and lets them remain in that sin. I don’t know what Bible they study, but Jesus didn’t leave sinners in their sins. He loved the sinner and forgave them but then told them to turn from their sins.

Zacchaeus was one whom Jesus changed. One day, Jesus was walking through Jericho, and everybody there wanted to see Him.

“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich” (Luke 19:1-2).

It isn’t a sin to be rich, but the way in which you became rich can be sinful. Publicans were known for being dishonest. The tax collectors, also called publicans, worked for Rome, which was a strike against them in the Jewish people’s estimation. Aside from that, if Rome said to collect $25 in taxes from each person, the publicans could collect any amount they wanted and keep everything above $25. Zacchaeus got his riches from this dishonest practice.

“And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way” (Luke 19:3-4).

Zacchaeus didn’t really care about the person, but he cared about the celebrity. Jesus was well known, and the people liked Him. It was the religious leaders who had a problem with Him because their hearts were hardened. Zacchaeus only wanted to see the one who was so popular. There was a crowd, but Zacchaeus was short in stature, so he climbed a tree in order to get a look at Jesus. There were many people there that day, but it seems that there was only one who really needed to meet Jesus, and he (Zaccheus) didn’t know his life was about to change.

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house” (Luke 19:5).

Wow! Can you imagine the Creator of the universe saying that to you? Actually, He does. We all have a call from God, but too many of us don’t listen and ignore His voice. Zacchaeus listened.

“And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner” (Luke 19:6-7).

There is so much we can learn from this account. The “good” people were praising Jesus, but were they sincere? Were they just trying to be noticed? Zacchaeus just wanted to see Jesus, not necessarily to be seen. Do you make sure you go to church on Sunday and that your car is foremost in the parking lot so everybody knows you’re there, or do you go to get closer to Jesus? Unfortunately, many churches are just there for the show. The pastor tickles ears with “purpose-driven” or “new age” teaching that might draw a crowd, but nobody is changed by Jesus.

Zacchaeus was changed. This sinner sought Jesus and found grace.

“And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any things from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8).

Was Jesus pleased? Yes, He was.

“And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:9-10).

Jesus is still seeking the lost sinners. We cannot truly be saved unless we allow Jesus to change us.

Zacchaeus realized his sin and didn’t hold onto it but let it go. Are you a sinner saved by grace but think you can still live in your sin while proclaiming, “My Jesus would accept my sin.” If you can think that way, you need to study Scripture.

One day, a member of the Pharisees met with Jesus. Unlike the members of this elite group of hypocrites, Nicodemus was truly seeking Jesus. He recognized that Jesus wasn’t a charlatan but a man of God.

“The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him” (John 3:2).

Nicodemus almost had it right. He didn’t have a saving knowledge of Christ yet, but he was seeking truth. Do you know someone who almost has it right? Maybe you have a friend who is Mormon or a member of another “near miss” organization. You need to explain God’s truth to them. Tell them we are all sinners with no hope of saving ourselves. The shed blood of an animal or of a mere human could never take sin away. Only God’s pure blood is the once for all sacrifice. Jesus was God and willingly gave His life for our salvation. We cannot work to earn salvation, and no priest can impart it to anyone. Only true faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection can bring salvation. That faith should change the way we live. It changed Zacchaeus, and it was about to change Nicodemus.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Nicodemus was not sure what He meant but asked for a deeper explanation.

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6).

When we are born into this mortal existence, we are born of water and flesh; we have a sin nature. We naturally are selfish and may do all manner of sin in order to make our own life easier and seemingly more pleasurable. We will lie, cheat, steal, live sexually immoral, and not care at all what God thinks of our sins. Being born again is the second birth. The one that is of the Spirit. When we are born the second time, the Holy Spirit leads us along His path. We no longer follow the worldly path of sin, pleasing ourselves, but desire to live pleasing to God.

Many Bible teachers don’t address sin as something Christians must avoid. Many try to make living a Christian lifestyle something unimportant. Drag queens are invited to preach from the pulpit, and sin isn’t preached against. This is a sign of the last days. You must realize that sitting in a pew doesn’t bring salvation. Allowing Christ to change you is an important part of “being a Christian.”

Zacchaeus and Nicodemus are just two examples of people whom Christ changed. He doesn’t leave us in our sin, but the Holy Spirit encourages us to change to be like Christ. There were 12 men who followed Jesus closely, and each one of them had to make a choice of whether to give up their sinful lives or to hold to the way of the world.

Matthew was a tax collector who allowed himself to be changed by Jesus. Peter was changed from a rash man who seemed to get a kick out of being a rebel and following this new religious leader, but after getting to know Jesus, Peter was changed. So were John, Thomas, and all the others.

Well, not all of the others. There was Judas, who chose to die in his sin. Judas had all the same opportunities as the others. An outsider looking at the group might have thought he was one who truly followed Jesus. After all, Peter was the rash one who spoke his mind and who jumped out of the boat. Peter was changed by Christ, and as he let the Holy Spirit work in him, he became a leader among the Christians and fed them well on the word of God. John and his brother James were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus, and those fishermen must have been rowdy for Jesus to call them that. John’s Gospel is an account of Jesus as God and shows just how much love flowed from the Lord. John was changed and is a great example of God’s grace.

What about those of us who didn’t have the opportunity to walk with Jesus 2,000 years ago? Look at Paul. He held the coats of the Pharisees when Stephen was martyred because of his faith. What about Timothy, who was a young man given the responsibility of being a pastor? Paul’s letters to him should be followed by every pastor who fills a pulpit. Timothy was a timid young man who learned to speak God’s truth rather than tickle ears to make pew-sitters feel welcome.

The Holy Spirit is working today to change people from sinners who are happy in their sin to people on fire for Christ. We must get back to the basics of God’s word in order to live a full Christian life. Then there was Judas who walked with Jesus but betrayed Him. Do you betray Jesus by denying Him or by not allowing the Holy Spirit to change you?

Jesus never accepted a sinful lifestyle but called sinners to turn away from sin. For instance, He healed a paralyzed man at the pool at Bethesda. Later, He found the man in the temple “…and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14b).

Another time, the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Him who had been caught in the act of adultery. They wanted Jesus to condemn her to death, which would have been the penalty under Jewish Law. Jesus didn’t condemn her but did tell her, “…go, and sin no more” (John 8:11b).

Sin isn’t acceptable to Jesus. We need to understand God’s grace, but we also need to understand what that grace cost our Lord. Never forget His brutal death, which shows us just how ugly sin is. He was beaten and whipped unmercifully. His bones showed through, His beard was plucked out, but He still willingly carried His cross to the place of crucifixion. There, he was crucified between two sinners. One cursed Him and mocked Him, but the other asked for His mercy. One found eternal death because he rejected Christ, but the other found eternal life because he understood he was a sinner and deserved the punishment for his sin. Jesus forgave his sin, and although he had to pay the punishment for his sin, that sinner gained eternal life because he asked Jesus to forgive him.

Salvation through Christ is to recognize you are a sinner, turn to Jesus for salvation, turn away from sin, and allow yourself to be changed.

Jesus will soon call all Christians Home, and we need to be sure we are truly saved before that happens. Let Christ change your desires and your pleasures.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

What is time? We are all subject to it, but nobody can see it or touch it. We see the effect that time has on everything – seasons change from Spring to Summer; over time, babies mature into adults; and we see events of Biblical prophecy being fulfilled. Scripture contains many prophecies that have been fulfilled, but many are in the process of being fulfilled, and some will be fulfilled in the near future.

How can God be so accurate when speaking to the prophets of old? As humans, we see the past, live in the present, and look forward to the future, but God is outside of time. He clearly sees the future because, from His vantage point, the future has happened.

Think of a movie that you’ve seen. You might watch it more than once and know every plot twist and character involved. If you watch it with someone who hasn’t seen it, you can tell them everything that will happen. Unlike the movie, God doesn’t have a scripted storyline to follow, but since He knows the end from the beginning, He’s able to trust men with some hints about our future. We call that prophecy.

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:10).

Prophecy is a very neglected study by most Christians. When it is studied, it’s often twisted in order to be understood by human minds. God tells us future things, so it can be difficult to interpret Biblical prophecy with our limited human knowledge. It’s hard for someone who only knows a bow and arrow as the most advanced weapon to understand how Damascus can be destroyed in a day.

“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1).

As time passes, it becomes clearer. We can be certain that God’s prophecies will always come about just as He says.

The most amazing prophecies center upon Jesus. God gave many prophecies to Israel regarding their Messiah, and it’s hard to understand how they missed Him. Micah was one of the prophets of God who spoke of the Messiah.

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

This ruler in Israel was Jesus. He was born in the small town of Bethlehem, near Jerusalem, and will reign eternally when other prophecies are fulfilled regarding the end times. When the Magi went to see Herod before they visited Jesus, they asked where He had been born. Matthew records this visit. Herod called a meeting of the chief priests and scribes.

“And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel” (Matthew 2:4-6).

Matthew showed many ways in which Jesus had fulfilled prophecy. Matthew made the connection between Isaiah 7:14 and Jesus’ birth.

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Matthew records the struggle that Joseph had when he realized his betrothed, Mary, was pregnant. He knew that he hadn’t had relations with her, but she was going to have a baby. An angel reassured him that she hadn’t been unfaithful.

“But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:20-23).

There are many, many more prophecies regarding the life of Jesus, but there are just too many to cite them all here. Study prophecy, and you’ll be amazed at how God wants us to know the future.

Prophecy is a great witnessing tool. Study it and see that time is running out. The news today is filled with stories about wars and earthquakes and unrest within nations. Jesus said these would be signs of the times. Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus’ disciples wanted to know about the end times.

“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).

The King James translation translates the Greek word “aion” as “world,” and most modern translations translate it as “age.” They weren’t asking about the Rapture. Jesus went into detail about signs to look for, but each “sign” He gave was a sign of time moving toward the end. He said not to be deceived. There would be people who pose as Christ but who aren’t, and there would be much unrest in the world.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6).

This is certainly being fulfilled. Israel just experienced the most heinous attack by Hamas, which was nothing less than Satan-inspired evil. Babies were beheaded, elderly people were kidnapped, and many innocent lives were taken by a very brutal and inhumane group. This attack caused Israel to fight back, and many prophecy teachers believe that Psalm 83 may be fulfilled by this war, and some are watching to see if Isaiah 17 (the destruction of Damascus) will be fulfilled. God said these things will happen, so you can be sure that it will all be fulfilled.

For the student of Bible prophecy, this is a very good witnessing tool. Peter understood the importance of prophecy. He told us about the attitude of many people.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

There are many scoffers today. People don’t hold God’s truth as authority, and pastors are okay with that. Evolution has replaced the truth that God created all things. Too many people scoff at the truth that God created male and female, and gender is not your choice. God clearly told us that there is coming a time of tribulation such as never seen before. The horrors of what took place in Jerusalem on October 7, 2023, are just a shadow of what the Great Tribulation will be like.

Peter was an eyewitness to many miracles of Jesus, but he felt prophecy was more certain.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Study prophecy and see what God tells us about the future.

Prophecy is being fulfilled rapidly. Will the Rapture occur tomorrow, or will it happen a few years from now? We cannot be sure as to the timing, but we can see that the pieces of the end times puzzle are falling into place. Christians won’t be here for the final seven years of world history. Jesus will call us Home prior to the end of the age. There is only one way you can avoid the time of Jacob’s trouble, and that is for you to give your life to Jesus. Recognize that you are a sinner. We all are. Jesus Christ entered His creation in order to offer all of us the only way for our sins to be forgiven. Only faith in His death, burial, and resurrection will bring forgiveness of your sins.

Remember that God knows the difference between someone who just repeats words and someone with a changed heart. If you were baptized as a baby, you didn’t make the choice. Make that choice today, and turn away from your sins. Nothing is more important than drawing closer to God. Your relationship with Him will affect your eternity.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). He never changes, and He loves His creation. He came into this world in order to bring salvation to a dead and dying population.

Prophecy is a good witnessing tool, but if you don’t study Scripture, you won’t be able to use it to talk to people and calm their fears and your own. Use it to bring a lost soul to the saving grace found only through faith in Jesus. The Rapture is drawing near, and time is running out. When Jesus was arrested and crucified, Israel was blind and didn’t recognize their Messiah. The Apostle Paul tells us that there will come a time when the blindness will be lifted from that wonderful nation.

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25).

Share your faith with others and open the eyes of the lost. The decision to follow Jesus has to be made individually; nobody can make that choice for you.

Time is running out, so give your life to Jesus now.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com

www.prophecyupdate.com

www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.